Self-monitoring and self-reinforcement processes in a pre-transsexual boy

Young boys with normal male physical status who manifest feminine gender-role behavior and verbalize a cross-gender identity are high-risk for later adult sexual adjustment problems, e.g., transsexualism and homosexual conflicts (Bakwin, 1968; Lebovitz, 1972; Stoller, 1968; Zuger, 1966). In the only published experimental treatment studies on child gender disturbance in which replication procedures were used, Rekers and his colleagues empirically demonstrated external stimulus control and reinforcement control over pronounced feminine behavior in young boys with serious gender identity and behavior disturbance (Rekers and Lovaas, 1974; Rekers, Lovaas and Low, 1974; Rekers, Willis, Yates, Rosen and Low, in press; Rekers, Yates, Willis, Rosen and Taubman, 1976). To potentially minimize the previously reported stimulus specificity of the extrinsic reinforcement effects, this study introduces, for the first time, behavioral self-control strategies to decrease feminine behavior in a cross-gender identified boy. A 6-year-old boy was taught to self-monitor his own sex-role behavior, and then to self-reinforce gender-appropriate responding. A behavioral cueing procedure was used during the initial phases of the training of self-monitoring.     

β2-糖蛋白Ⅰ依赖性自身抗体与自然流产的关系

为探讨β2-糖蛋白Ⅰ依赖性自身免疫抗体对自然流产病因诊断价值.将59名自然流产患者作为研究组,同时选择29名正常妊娠的产妇作为对照组.结论显示检测抗磷脂抗体能提高对自然流产患者病因诊断,β2-糖蛋白Ⅰ依赖性抗心磷脂抗体的特异性较单纯抗心磷脂抗体的特异性高,诊断妊娠丢失的病因更准确.     

BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF DEVIANT SEX-ROLE BEHAVIORS IN A MALE CHILD1

This study demonstrated reinforcement control over pronounced feminine behaviors in a male child who had been psychologically evaluated as manifesting “childhood cross-gender identity”. The clinical history of the subject paralleled the retrospective reports of adult transsexuals, including (a) cross-gender clothing preferences, (b) actual or imaginal use of cosmetic articles, (c) feminine behavior mannerisms, (d) aversion to masculine activities, coupled with preference for girl playmates and feminine activities, (e) preference for female role, (f) feminine voice inflection and predominantly feminine content in speech, and (g) verbal statements about the desire or preference to be a girl. The subject was treated sequentially in the clinic and home environments by his mother, trained to be his therapist. The mother was taught to reinforce masculine behaviors and to extinguish feminine behaviors, by using social reinforcement in the clinic and a token reinforcement procedure in the home. During this treatment, his feminine behaviors sharply decreased and masculine behavior increased. The treatment effects were found to be largely response-specific and stimulus-specific; consequently, it was necessary to strengthen more than one masculine behavior and weaken several feminine behaviors, in both clinic and home settings. A multiple-baseline intrasubject design was used to ensure both replication and identification of relevant treatment variables. Follow-up data three years after the treatment began suggests that the boy's sex-typed behaviors have become normalized. This study suggests a preliminary step toward correcting pathological sex-role development in boys, which may provide a basis for the primary prevention of adult transsexualism or similar adult sex-role deviation.     

The detection of malingering in criminal forensic groups: MMPI validity scales

Despite the value of the MMPI to the forensic assessment of malingering (exaggeration) of psychopathology, few studies have assessed the accuracy of the MMPI validity scales in criminal forensic populations. We administered the MMPI to 35 insanity defendants undergoing evaluation for fitness to stand trial and/or sanity at the time of the crime, who stood to benefit from being assessed as psychologically disturbed, and 39 subjects previously found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), who did not stand to gain from such an assessment, Insanity defendants showed significantly more malingering than NGRI subjects, p less than .05. Racial differences did not affect the data. These findings support the efficacy of MMPI validity scales in assessing malingering within criminal forensic groups, and support the generalizability of the scales across race.     

The Detection of Malingering in Criminal Forensic Groups: MMPI Validity Scales

Despite the value of the MMPI to the forensic assessment of malingering (exaggeration) of psychopathology, few studies have assessed the accuracy of the MMPI validity scales in criminal forensic populations. We administered the MMPI to 35 insanity defendants undergoing evaluation for fitness to stand trial and/or sanity at the time of the crime, who stood to benefit from being assessed as psychologically disturbed, and 39 subjects previously found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), who did not stand to gain from such an assessment. Insanity defendants showed significantly more malingering than NGRI subjects, p < .05. Racial differences did not affect the data. These findings support the efficacy of MMPI validity scales in assessing malingering within criminal forensic groups, and support the generalizability of the scales across race.     

Effects of Gendered Language on Gender Stereotyping in Computer‐Mediated Communication: The Moderating Role of Depersonalization and Gender‐Role Orientation

This experiment examined what situational and dispositional features moderate the effects of linguistic gender cues on gender stereotyping in anonymous, text‐based computer‐mediated communication. Participants played a trivia game with an ostensible partner via computer, whose comments represented either prototypically masculine or feminine language styles. Consistent with the social identity model of deindividuation effects, those who did not exchange brief personal profiles with their partner (i.e., depersonalization) were more likely to infer their partner’s gender from the language cues than those who did. Depersonalization, however, facilitated stereotype‐consistent conformity behaviors only among gender‐typed individuals; that is, participants conformed more to their masculine‐ than feminine‐comment partners, and men were less conforming than were women, only when they were both gender‐typed and depersonalized.     

An Evaluation of the Validity of Rorschach Popular Responses as Differentiae of Ambulatory Schizophrenia

We compared MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, &; Kaemmer, 1989) profiles of 2 groups of adult biological men requesting sex reassignment surgery; 1 group was diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) transsexualism and the other with gender identity disorder of adolescence and adulthood, nontranssexual type (GIDAANT). Although the mean profiles for the transsexual group did not demonstrate any psychopathology, the GIDAANT group showed moderate psychopathology. A cluster analysis indicated that 85% of the transsexual group showed low psychopathology and 47% of the GIDAANT group showed severe psychopathology. Neither the MMPI-2 results nor the DSM-III-R clinical evaluation support the conclusion of many authors that transsexualism is associated with severe personality disorder; rather, the data indicate that transsexualism and other gender identity disorders without persistent wish for sex reassignment differ significantly in degree of psychopathology.     

MMPI ratings of suicide risk.

Among past attempts to use MMPI data to predict suicidal behavior, there has been a lack of research on the ability of clinicians to identify MMPI profiles of suicidal persons. In this study, the MMPI profiles of 20 male psychiatric patients who committed suicide and the MMPI profiles of 20 male patients who did not attempt or commit suicide were presented to six clinical psychologists with expertise in MMPI interpretation. The clinicians were asked to classify each MMPI profile as coming from a patient who did or did not later commit suicide, and to rate eight variables thought to be relevant to the assessment of suicide risk. Data analysis revealed that the clinicians could not identify suicide and nonsuicide patients from their MMPI profiles. Furthermore, the ratings of the eight suicide variable did not differentiate suicide and nonsuicide patients.     

An MMPI Comparison of Two Groups of Institutionalized Delinquents

Two independent studies compared the MMPI performance of 2 groups of matched institutionalized delinquent boys, those who caused trouble in dormitories (SSs) and those who did not (GGs). In the 1st study, Scale 4 was the only statistically significant scale. Cross-validation found no scales statistically significant. Nineteen items which discriminated between SSs and GGs in the 1st study did not hold up in the cross-validation study. It is concluded that the MMPI has questionable value in discriminating between different levels and types of delinquents.     

Interaction of sex role self-concept with relationship quality and relationship beliefs in married, heterosexual cohabiting, gay, and lesbian couples

The relation between sex role self-concept (masculine, feminine, undifferentiated, and androgynous) and both relationship quality and dysfunctional relationship beliefs was examined in 370 monogamous partners who represented four types of couples (married, heterosexual cohabiting, gay, and lesbian). Analyses used both the individual partner and the couple as the unit of analysis. The individual partner analyses revealed that relationship quality and relationship beliefs differed by subjects' sex role self-concept. Androgynous and feminine subjects reported higher relationship quality than masculine and undifferentiated subjects; androgynous subjects had fewer "disagreement is destructive" beliefs than feminine subjects; and androgynous subjects had fewer "partner cannot change" beliefs than undifferentiated subjects. The couple analyses revealed a relation between partners' sex role self-concept only for the heterosexual cohabiting couples. For these couples, masculine men tended to pair with feminine or undifferentiated women, and androgynous partners tended to pair together. Relative to other couples, couples in which one or both partners were androgynous or feminine reported the highest relationship quality, whereas couples in which one or both partners were undifferentiated or masculine reported the lowest relationship quality. These effects did not vary by type of couple. The study concluded that sex role self-concept is a robust factor in appraisals of relationship quality. Relative to masculine and undifferentiated individuals, androgynous and feminine individuals report greater positive relationship functioning.     

Utility of the MMPI-2 in assessing gender dysphoric patients

We compared MMPI-2 (Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) profiles of 2 groups of adult biological men requesting sex reassignment surgery; 1 group was diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-III-R]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) transsexualism and the other with gender identity disorder of adolescence and adulthood, nontranssexual type (GIDAANT). Although the mean profiles for the transsexual group did not demonstrate any psychopathology, the GIDAANT group showed moderate psychopathology. A cluster analysis indicated that 85% of the transsexual group showed low psychopathology and 47% of the GIDAANT group showed severe psychopathology. Neither the MMPI-2 results nor the DSM-III-R clinical evaluation support the conclusion of many authors that transsexualism is associated with severe personality disorder; rather, the data indicate that transsexualism and other gender identity disorders without persistent wish for sex reassignment differ significantly in degree of psychopathology.     

MMPI comparisons of Hispanic- and white-American veterans seeking treatment for alcoholism

Scores of 29 Hispanic- and 46 white-American alcoholics, who voluntarily sought psychiatric treatment for their alcoholism, were compared on the MMPI. It was hypothesized that Hispanic-American alcoholics would be better adjusted than white alcoholics on the validity and clinical scales of the MMPI. The hypothesis was supported, with Hispanic-Americans obtaining significantly lower scores than white veterans on the Pd, Mf, and Si scales. Hispanic and white patients did not differ on the remaining MMPI scales. The mean two-point code for Hispanic subjects was 2-8 (Depression-Schizophrenia) and for white patients 8-2 (Schizophrenia-Depression).     

Gender traits and identities in a "masculine" organization: the Israeli police force

Gender and occupational identities were examined within the Israeli police force, a stereotypically masculine organization. The principal hypothesis was that women in this organizational setting did not reject their gender identity. Rather, they self-attributed more traditionally masculine traits in addition to their feminine traits. This was especially so among women going through particularly intense occupational and organizational socialization needed for field jobs. The findings only partially confirmed the hypothesis. Most women in the sample considered themselves to be highly feminine, even though they self-attributed masculine traits. Although the women, like their male colleagues, ranked occupational identity higher than gender identity, their feminine identity (usually in contrast with the masculine organizational context) was not repressed and their gender identity was as strong as that of the men.     

Scale 5 of the MMPI and MMPI-A: evidence of disparity

Scale 5 of the MMPI and MMPI-A was compared in a repeated measures design. Participants for the study were 43 adolescents classified as emotionally disturbed in a public school system and 17 inpatients at a residential treatment center. The MMPI Scale 5 mean score was substantially higher than that of the MMPI-A. The alternate-form reliability between Scale 5 of the two forms was surprisingly low, suggesting that the deletion of 16 items and rewording of 6 additional items changed the scale on the MMPI-A to an extent that may have significantly altered the underlying construct. The authors discuss factors that could be associated with the findings, including: (a) the diminished ability to express feminine interest on the MMPI-A, and (b) general changes in attitudes among adolescents over the 3 or more decades since the MMPI norms were developed.     

The role of gender and gender role similarity in readers' identification with story characters

This study tested the hypothesis that adult readers would identify with story characters who display a similar gender role orientation. Male and female readers rated their identification with male and female characters who acted in either a masculine or feminine manner in short story vignettes. The primary finding was an interaction between gender role of reader and gender role behavior of character: as predicted, androgynous and undifferentiated readers identified equally with both masculine and feminine characters, masculine readers identified more strongly with masculine characters than feminine characters, and feminine readers identified more strongly with feminine characters than masculine characters. Further, androgynous readers identified somewhat more strongly with both types of characters than undifferentiated readers. However, the predicted effect of gender similarity between reader and character did not exert a strong influence on the identification process. In addition, feminine subjects reported greater identification across all four stories than masculine and undifferentiated subjects. Finally, of three questionnaire measures of empathy tested, only Davis's (1983) Interpersonal Reactivity Index (Empathic Concern subscale) significantly predicted general level of identification; as expected, these scores were significantly correlated with femininity gender role scores.     

Stereotypes and crossed‐category evaluations: The case of gender and science education

A sample of UK adolescents (n = 1140), grouped by sex and liking of science, evaluated themselves, and girl and boy targets who did or did not like science, on masculine, feminine and gender non‐specific traits. Contrary to sociological concerns about the masculine image and appeal of science, those who liked science more rated themselves more positively on feminine and gender non‐specific—but not masculine—traits. The girl target was rated lower on feminine traits if she liked science, but the boy was rated higher on feminine traits if he liked science. Target ratings also showed in‐group enhancement based on liking of science, and a ‘black sheep’ effect: those who liked science less discriminated against the same‐sex target who liked science, especially on gender in‐group relevant traits. We argue that gender differences in science education should be attributed partly to subjective group dynamics and not solely to images of science.     

Conversion equations for modified scoring of the MMPI-168

For a sample of 300 patients who had been administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the MMPI-168 was extracted from the full MMPI and scored to incorporate those items normally excluded by Form R keys. MMPI-168 correlations with the full MMPI ranged from .80 to .97 with a mean of .90, indicating satisfactory statistical validity, and modified scoring was shown to improve predictability for Pa and Sc. Using these data, substitution equations for transforming MMPI-168 raw scores to estimates of full-scale scores were calculated. These transformations did not differ greatly from those reported in previous research except on Pa and Sc, where additional items increase scale length substantially.     

Gender and Sex as Determinants of Hireability of Applicants for Gender-Typed Jobs

The effects of gender and sex of applicants for gender-typed jobs were investigated in the context of a simulation of a post-interview decision. Student subjects (N=102) rated eight applicants for one of three gender-typed jobs. Results indicated that, in general, masculine applicants (of both sexes) were preferred over androgynous applicants who were preferred over feminine applicants. For the neutral job, androgynous applicants were preferred over masculine applicants who were preferred over feminine applicants. Male and female students did not differ in their ratings of the applicants. The results were interpreted as indicating raters' preference for masculine characteristics in any job applicant.     

Sexual identification and gender identity among father-absent males

The present study used multiple measures of sexual identification and of gender identity to determine discriminant functions in order to classify 100 college males and 100 females. These functions were then applied in classification of a separate sample of 50 father-absent and 50 father-present males as masculine or feminine for sexual identification and for gender identity. True similarity to response patterns of a female sample, as reflected in differences in classification rates for father-present and -absent groups, was not observed for either variable. However, substantial support was obtained for a positive association between father absence for male subjects and less masculine gender identity. Different elements of family structure were observed to be associated with the development of sexual identification among father-absent and father-present males. Sons of mothers who remained single after the father's absence were more frequently classified female in sexual identification than were sons of mothers who remarried. Within intact families, a positive father-son relationship was associated with masculine sexual identification.